Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Linguine Recipe

by katerina on May 16, 2011

Think of this recipe as a summery chicken parmagiana. It is breaded, fried and topped with a cheese laden red sauce and served alongside a blissfully al dente pasta.

But now instead of being heavily breaded and fried, it is gently floured and tossed in olive oil. The sweet roasted red pepper sauce is mellowed with the addition of goat’s cheese instead of the typical tomatoes and mozzarellla. Do add the chilies, it cuts the sweetness. Do add the basil, this is what makes the dish fresh.

Don’t get me wrong I love a good bowl of the classics, but who isn’t interested in a new comfort food recipe every once and awhile?

Was the red peppers and roast them either under the broiler or on top of a flame. Remove to a bowl and cover with Saran wrap. Let sit for10 minutes to cool and help steam away the skins. Using a spoon or the back of a knife remove and discard the skins from the peppers. Cut them open and discard the core and any seeds. And the flesh to a food processor or blender and whizz until nice and smooth.

Boil a big pot of water for the pasta. When it comes to a boil add salt. Thinly slice each chicken breast into medallions about 1 cm thick. Place between to pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound to thin and even out each piece. Sprinkle both sides ith salt and pepper and prepare a plate with flour so you can bread them at the last minute. Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain when cooked.

In the meantime, heat a large skillet to medium high heat and add olive oil. Quickly dredge the chicken in flour and fry for 2 minutes on each side, or until almost cooked through. Remove to a plate. Add the white wine to the pan and simmer to scrape any yummy chicken bits up, stir until almost all gone.

Add the red pepper and chili flakes to the pan an bring to a gentle simmer along with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken back to the pan and tuck into the sauce. Break apart the goat cheese and drop into the sauce. Simmer for 4 more minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through and sauce is thickened. Roughly chop the basil and stir in. Taste the sauce and add more salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Toss pasta with 1/4 of the sauce.

Plate each portion with a base of pasta topped with a two medallions chicken and extra sauce on top. Serve hot.